


The Life Built Together

by RedLeopard19



Series: From Friends to Strangers [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Female Steve Rogers, Fluff and Angst, Genderswap, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 08:27:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18406868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedLeopard19/pseuds/RedLeopard19
Summary: Stephanie "Stevie" Rogers and James "Bucky" Barnes were always Bucky-and-Stevie, so nobody was surprised when they finally got married. Unfortunately, they don't get to settle down with the happily ever after they pictured. This is how it starts.





	1. About Damn Time

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All rights for the characters and any recognizable lines go to Marvel.

Stephanie “Stevie” Rogers woke up gasping for breath in the middle of an asthma attack. She sat up, struggling to get air into her lungs, but found herself coughing instead of breathing. The familiar panic of not getting any oxygen started to overwhelm her.

 

It only took five coughs for James “Bucky” Barnes to wake up from his place on the floor next to her bed. He scrambled to his feet and crawled onto the small bed beside her, immediately pulling her close into his arms.

 

“Shh, Stevie, breathe for me, Sweetheart,” Bucky murmured, rubbing his hand up and down her back. “Match my breathing.”

 

“I-I’m trying!” Stevie wheezed, managing to match each of Bucky’s inhales.

 

It only took a moment for her to match his exhales too. Stevie shivered, throat burning from the coughing, while Bucky pulled her closer to his chest.

 

“That’s my best girl. Asthma doesn’t get the best of you, doll face,” Bucky smiled, grabbing the blue thread bare blanket from the foot of her bed and draping it over her shoulders.

 

“Why do you stick around to deal with me? We both know I’m likely to be dead by the end of the year,” Stevie complained, letting Bucky take care of her.

 

She’d had five asthma attacks that night, and just didn’t have the energy to fight Bucky right then.

 

Bucky frowned, carefully pushing her hair behind her ear to see her thin face better. “I’m with you ‘till the end of the line, Stevie. You’re too stubborn to ever die, so quit talkin’ like you’re dying.”

In all honesty, Stevie wasn’t sure if it was the cold or the conviction in Bucky’s tone that made her shiver. Bucky pressed a kiss to her forehead.

 

“I’m gonna prove to you that you’re stuck with me, Rogers,” Bucky informed her, “Wait a sec.”

 

 Bucky slid off the bed easily and disappeared from the bedroom. Stevie glanced around her small bedroom. Her drawings covered the walls, and all her clothes were neatly put away in the chest at the foot of her bed. Bucky had practically moved in, evident from his clothes on the floor and the practically permanent pillow on the floor beside her.

 

Bucky came back into the room carrying a small box. “There’s two reasons for this: firstly, I love you, and I’m gonna love you forever, and secondly, I’m tired of my ma, my sisters, and every woman in this building giving me a hard time about not doing this sooner.”

 

“Buck?” Stevie frowned, shifting closer to the edge of the bed.

 

Bucky got down on one knee in front of Stevie and opened the box. Sitting in the box was his mother’s engagement ring. Stevie gasped, bringing her hands up to cover her mouth.

 

“Stephanie Rogers, will you marry me?” Bucky asked with a sincere smile.

 

“James Barnes, I will marry you,” Stevie said, launching herself off her bed and into his arms.

 

Bucky caught her easily and pulled her into a searing kiss. He pulled away long enough to slide the ring onto her finger and pulled her close again. Stevie’s fingers were so thin she was afraid she’d lose the ring, but in that moment she didn’t care.

 

They had been “Bucky-and-Stevie” for years, ever since they were kids. Stevie had a crush on him from the day they met. Nobody was surprised when they started dating, and Stevie thought her already weak heart was going to explode the first time he kissed her.

 

“There was never a question, Buck. I’m yours ‘till the end of the line.” Stevie smiled and pulled him in for another kiss.

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Stevie passed the megger change over to the cashier as she bought a carton of eggs. She had spent the whole day trying not to grin like a fool. Bucky Barnes was hers and hers only, and she had a ring to prove it. Her, tiny, skinny, sickly Steph Rogers who preferred a boy’s name, had captured the eyes and heart of the handsome and strong Bucky Barnes. Stevie remembered how jealous all the other girls were when they were just dating.

 

The cashier froze, staring at Stevie’s hand. “Is that an engagement ring I see?”

 

Stevie lost that battle of not grinning like a fool. “Bucky asked me last night.”

 

“About damn time!” the cashier crowed, loud enough for one in the line to hear. “Barnes finally asked Rogers to marry him!”

 

“About time indeed!” exclaimed the lady in line behind Stevie, Mrs. O’Keily from down the street. “We’ve been telling him to make an honest woman out of you for almost a year now! Congratulations, dearie!”

 

“Thank you, Mrs. O’Keily,” Stevie nodded her head.

 

Stevie bid both the cashier and Mrs. O’Keily goodbye before taking her eggs and practically skipping all the way home. She got home before Bucky, so she started dinner.

 

As she cooked up the eggs, a wonderful realization occurred to her. Once she took Bucky’s last name, she’d be able to sign all her drawings as Barnes, and she’d get more money for them. She’d be bringing in money too, and god knew that they needed all the extra money they could get their hands on.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The wedding was simple and small. Stevie had felt a little nervous that her mother’s old wedding dress might be too old fashion. Normally, Stevie didn’t care about what she looked like. She passed as a boy most of the time, and when she could get away with it, dressed like one too.

 

Bucky’s mom, dad, and sisters came, and Mrs. O’Keily insisted that she go to represent Stevie despite them having no relation, so she and her husband sat on Stevie’s side of the church. The ceremony was a traditional catholic ceremony, but they’d been allowed to include their favourite promise to be together until the end of the line into their vows.

 

Stevie told herself she wasn’t going to cry during the ceremony but sobbed like a baby anyways. She’d never been so happy, and it showed in the photo Bucky’s father took for them.

 

After the ceremony, Bucky and Stevie stopped by the cemetery to deliver the good news to Stevie’s mom. Bucky cried while he told Sarah Rogers’ tombstone that it was the happiest day of his life and that he just had to thank Sarah for raising the most beautiful, caring, and brave woman in the world. He made Stevie start crying again by describing Stevie like an angel in her mother’s old wedding dress.

 

They walked back home, hand in hand as Mr. and Mrs. Barnes. They were going to be Bucky-and-Stevie forever now.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

For some reason, people believed that after getting married, Bucky would but a stop to Stevie’s habit of dressing like a man and getting into back alley brawls. They believed that Stevie would “calm down,” or that Bucky would “control her.” That was not the case.

 

While Bucky didn’t approve of Stevie getting into so many fights, he didn’t try to stop her. He didn’t care that she liked to dress in men’s clothes, and honestly felt particularly smug whenever he saw her in one of his shirts. In truth, he figured Stevie was safer dressed as a man than walking around looking like an even easier target while dressed as a girl. Bucky married Stevie, the stubborn headed fool girl who got into fights and dressed like a boy, and he wasn’t going to change her for the world.

 

That of course didn’t mean he beat half of Brooklyn black and blue for daring to lay a hand on his Stevie, and then ranted at her for being reckless when they got home. He resigned himself to the fact that she’d start fights he’d have to finish on an almost daily basis, and just wished at bare minimum she’d wait until he was there to start each fight. He also wished she’d just accept his help instead of insisting that “she had him on the ropes” when Bucky had to save her from getting beaten to death.

 

From the start they knew Stevie was physically too weak to have a baby, and almost sterile. They both agreed that it was for the best, seeing as how even if Stevie did have a kid, there was a risk they would be as sick as her. Stevie couldn’t bare to inflict that on her child, and Bucky was more afraid of losing Stevie to the pregnancy.

 

Bucky worked as many jobs as he could, and Stevie drew comics and propaganda for the papers and local mayors’ office. Money was tight, they were living during the Great Depression after all, and rent, food and medicine costed a pretty penny, but they managed to scrape by.

 

Despite set backs, which included Stevie nearly dying of pneumonia a year into their marriage, they’d carved out a happy life for themselves.

 

Then the war started, and Stevie got more jobs drawing propaganda. Bucky had her rants about bullies memorized and mimed it on nights when Stevie got particularly worked up about it.

 

Mr. O’Keily died of a heart attack and Mrs. O’Keily died a few months later of a broken heart. Stevie, who had gotten into the habit of looking after Mrs. O’Keily after her husband’s passing was devastated.

 

Then the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour, and America joined the war. Stevie felt she could do more than just draw the same posters over and over again.

 

Then Bucky got drafted, and Stevie refused to be left behind.

 

She’d bind her chest and try to get into the army, but she’d be turned away for all her illnesses before the men figured out that she was a woman. Bucky flew into fits of worry when he found out she’d been binding her chest. He didn’t think she’d be able to breathe, so Stevie stopped binding her chest. The men at the recruitment offices still didn’t realize she was a woman.

 

Stevie found that a particularly hard day and felt as if every one of her ailments were particularly angry with her that night. Bucky had to hold her while she cried herself to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Bucky returned from basic training to find his wife getting beaten up in a back alley. Stevie knew she should have been at home making him a hot meal as a welcome home, but she couldn’t get over the disrespect the asshole who was currently trying to knock her down was showing to the war and the men who fought in it.

 

So here she was, clambering back onto her feet yet again, while her husband punched and kicked a man three times her size, again, and finished the fight Stevie refused to admit she’d started, again.

 

“Pick on someone your own size!” Bucky snapped, punching the man so hard that he spun into the alley’s wall.

 

With one more swift kick to the butt that resulted in his opponent crashing into the ground face first, Bucky turned to face his wife. He sighed and pulled out his handkerchief. The now defeated bully raced away clutching his face, and Stevie dropped her makeshift trash can lid shield.

 

“Sometimes I think you like getting punched,” Bucky complained, starting to wipe blood from Stevie’s face.

 

“I had him on the ropes,” Stevie rasped, leaning into Bucky’s touch and flashing him the biggest puppy dog eyes she could.

 

Bucky let out another sigh, “You’re a menace with those eyes.”

 

Stevie gave Bucky’s uniform an appreciative once over, which made Bucky smirk. “You got your orders?”

 

Bucky nodded, “The one-oh-seventh. Sargent James Barnes, shipping out for England first thing tomorrow.”

 

“Tomorrow?” Stevie repeated, silently cursing herself for the whimper in her tone.

 

“I know darling, but let’s not thing about that for tonight,” Bucky told her, tucking the handkerchief away and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

 

“Why? Where are we going?” Stevie asked, tilting her head curiously.

 

Pressing a kiss to her forehead, Bucky handed her a pamphlet for the Stark Expo. “The future Stevie. We’re going to the future.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Stevie stared at the recruitment booth with longing in her eyes. Bucky tried not to let his long-suffering sigh be too loud as his wife almost subconsciously drifted to the doorway.

 

“Look, Stevie, it’s my last night. Let’s not fight about this again. They’re not going to let you fight on accord of your illnesses, and they’re not going to let you fight on accord of the fact you’re a dame. You’re even dressed like one because we’re supposed to go dancing tonight,” Bucky lectured, “I know you want to do your part, and I know you want to go out there and fight the good fight. They don’t care Stevie. I love you, but would you please not do anything stupid?”

 

“How can I do anything stupid when you’re gonna take it all with you?” Stevie asked him.

 

“Punk,” Bucky said fondly, shaking his head.

 

“Jerk,” Stevie replied, hopping onto her tip toes to press a kiss to his lips.

 

Bucky smiled sadly as he leaned down and captured her lips with a kiss.

 

“Stephanie Barnes, I love you more than life itself. I’m with you ‘till the end of the line, but I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you home if you try to pass as a man at this recruitment office tonight,” Bucky threatened lovingly.

 

“Excuse me, but I believe that won’t be necessary,” a man with a German accent said, as he approached them. “I couldn’t help but over hear your conversation. I am Doctor Abraham Erskine; I work for the SSR. Am I correct in understanding that you, Mrs Barnes? You would like to join the army, but you are sick?”

 

“That’s right,” Stevie nodded, while Bucky tightened his grip on Stevie minutely. Stevie took his hand in hers and squeezed it reassuringly.

 

“I can see here that Mr. Barnes is headed overseas himself. If I may ask, is your desperation to go overseas to stay at your husband’s side or because you want to kill Nazis?” Erskine asked pleasantly.

 

“Is this a test?” Stevie asked suspiciously.

 

Erskine let out a short laugh, “Yes, it is.”

 

“I don’t want to kill anyone; I just don’t like bullies. I don’t care where they’re from. To be honest, Bucky is part of the reason I want to go. I can’t imagine living here without him,” Stevie replied, tightening her grip on Bucky’s hand.

 

“I can offer you a chance, Mrs. Barnes, and only a chance, to both join your husband in the war, and get cured of all of your sicknesses,” Erskine said in a low voice. “This is highly classified project with the government, so I cannot explain much more without you joining the project.”

 

Stevie and Bucky were both frozen.

 

“Did you just say you could cure Stevie of all her sicknesses? The asthma, the bad heart, the bad back, the bad immune system, the works?” Bucky asked in an equally low voice.

 

“What about my colour blindness and bad ear?” Stevie asked, trying to keep her hope out of her voice.

 

“I could cure all of those ailments,” Erskine promised.

 

Stevie turned to look imploringly into Bucky’s eyes.

 

“Jesus wept, Stevie, not those sad blues,” Bucky complained, “It sounds too good to be true. You being healthy… the way the doctor talks, he makes it sound like he could make you healthy enough for us to have kids. It’s impossible Stevie.”

 

“But it’s a chance, Buck. The doctor could fix me! Just imagine me being able to breathe like a normal person for a change!” Stevie pressed, tugging on Bucky’s arm.

 

“I can see you’ve made up your mind. Alright. I’ll try not to win the war until you get there,” Bucky promised, pulling her into a chaste kiss.

 

Erskine smiled serenely. “I’ll get the papers together and let you two spend your last night together in peace.”

 

Erskine disappeared for a few moments before returning with a folder and handing it to Stevie. “Welcome to the US army.”

 

“Thanks, Doc,” Bucky nodded, taking Stevie straight home.

 

Stevie put her folder on the kitchen table, took off her shoes and jumped into Bucky’s arms. Pressing kiss after kiss over every part of his face she could reach, Stevie practically melted into his arms as he carried her to their room.


	2. Why We Should Stick Together

After grumbling to herself about going to New Jersey for basic, Stevie found herself as both the only woman, and the only person who was obviously not a pillar of health and strength in a group of men selected as potential candidates for the Super Soldier Program, or Project Rebirth. Luckily, there was Agent Peggy Carter, an English spy sent to over see their training, who Stevie could see becoming her new best friend.

 

On their first meeting, a man who was one of the biggest asses Stevie had ever met thought he could mouth off at Agent Carter, and she laid him out flat with one hit.

 

Throughout training, Agent Carter began to befriend Stevie. It was one of the only good things about training, because Stevie obviously sucked at everything physical. While it was painful, and she got yelled at a lot, Stevie couldn’t help but be glad she was being treated just like everyone else.

 

Erskine and Peggy both showed favouritism of Stevie and managed to convince Colonel Phillips to pick her for the test.  Stevie wrote to Bucky, telling him only that she’d been picked, and that she was going to see him soon.

 

Erskine reminded her to always be a good person, and to be herself. As soon as Erskine had finished talking, she already knew she would commit his words to heart.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

It was the most painful thing Stevie had ever endured in her life, but the second she stepped out of the pod without feeling pain for the first time, she knew it was worth it.

 

Stevie was taller, her height pushing six feet, having grown a foot. She was slightly alarmed by her flat chest having grown from barely fitting in an A cup to a C cup. There was no mistaking her for a boy now. Stevie was seeing colours she’d never seen before. She was stronger and stood straighter. She felt as if she were high because all the pain was gone.

 

“How do you feel?” Peggy asked, helping a nurse give Stevie a new shirt and a pair of loose pants.

 

“Taller, healthier,” Stevie managed to say.

 

“Well, you look both taller and healthier. You’re no longer paler than a ghost,” Peggy smiled.

 

Of course, that was when the viewing room exploded, and somebody shot Erskine. Stevie chased the assassin down and heard of Hydra, the fanatical Nazi division lead by a man called Schmidt, for the first time.

 

That was also when Phillips decided that she wasn’t allowed to go out into the field.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The last thing Stevie ever expected that she would do as a job was end up a chorus girl, and here she was. Her outfit matched that of the other girls’, except she had a tiara, and a shield. She was almost given the title “Miss Liberty”, but Stevie’s protestations about being married resulted in a longer skirt, a top that actually covered her breasts, and the extremely controversial and progressive title “Captain America.”

 

Stevie hated that she was good at the job Senator Brandt had given her. She knew her lines, knew how to pose for the camera, knew how to hold babies, etc. and that outfit was tight and barely left anything to the imagination. She could act enough for the films where she basically showed up and gave the men more weapons and ammo before following them into battle. She felt like a dancing monkey.

 

She sent frequent letters to Bucky and tried not to get too upset when the replies were few and far between. She hated it the most when he hadn’t replied in several months and she’d finally gotten off American soil.

 

Much to the chagrin of the costume designers, Stevie took her frustration out on her tiara, snapping them frequently. She’d gone through ten metal tiaras.

 

She was used to audiences that where filled with children and people who didn’t know what war was really like, so the show for the troops in Italy was a flop. She recited the lines as usual, to get the least positive response out there.

 

“How many of you are ready to help me sock old Adolf on the jaw?” Stevie asked the crowd in what she hoped wasn’t too fake of a voice. There was silence. “Okay then, can I get a volunteer?”

 

“I already volunteered! How do you think I got here?” shouted on the men in the audience.

 

“I’m only volunteering if you’re taking some of those clothes off, darling!” another man shouted.

 

Stevie gripped her shield tighter and failed to hold back her temper. “I happen to be a married woman, and I’m not taking my clothes off for anyone except my husband.”

 

“BOO! Bring back the other girls and sing us a song!” a third man shouted.

 

“I’m pretty sure we only have one song rehearsed, but I will see what I can do,” Stevie said as calmly as she could through gritted teeth.

 

“Get a move on sweetheart!”

 

Stevie pulled off her tiara snapped it in half and chucked the halves into the audience ignoring the stage manager when he started ranting about breaking the tiaras. The other girls rushed the stage and started singing and dancing again.

 

Stevie grabbed a rain coat and put it on before sitting down to work on the drawing she’d started of a dancing monkey on a unicycle. The sky opened up not ten minute later, reflecting Stevie’s mood perfectly.

 

“That was quite the show,” Peggy said, surprising Stevie,

 

“Peggy! What are you doin’ here?” Stevie asked, offering a small smile.

 

“Officially I’m not here,” Peggy winked, before crossing her arms over her chest. “Quite the performance.”

 

“The audiences I’m used to are closer to twelve years old and obviously have never fought a day in their lives. I had to improvise a little and did not succeed at not losing my temper with both the audience and the job itself,” Stevie sighed tiredly.

 

“But I’ve heard that you’re the American’s new hope?”

 

“Bond sales take a ten percent bump in every state I visit,” Stevie said in a monotonous parody of Senator Brandt.

 

“Was that Senator Brandt I heard?”

 

“Yeah. At least doin’ this I got close to the front lines. Phillips would have stuck me in a lab,” complained Stevie.

 

“And these are your only two options? A lab rat and a dancing money? Stevie, you were meant for more than this, you know?” Peggy asked Stevie, frowning at Stevie.

 

Stevie made to answer, thinking about Bucky. She hadn't seen him in so long. She'd joined to fight and be with him, and so far, had gotten to do neither of those things.

 

"What?" Peggy prodded.

 

"You know for the longest time I dreamed about coming overseas and be on the front lines. Serving my country. I finally get everything I wanted, and I’m wearing a tiara, clothes that are too tight!" Stevie complained, "And I've yet to see Bucky again!"

 

"These men have seen the worst of the war. Especially these ones. You can't blame them for how they reacted," Peggy explained, further elaborating upon noticing Stevie's confused look, "Schmidt sent out a force to Assiano. Two hundred men went up against him and less than fifty returned. Your audience contained what was left of the one-oh-seventh. The rest were killed or captured.”

 

"The one-oh-seventh?" Stevie asked her heart stopping, Peggy began to nod.

 

Bucky was in the one-oh-seventh, and he sure as hell hadn’t been in that audience. Stevie was running before Peggy could speak.

 

"Colonel Phillips?" Stevie barked, entering his tent.

 

"Well, if it isn’t the star spangled woman with a plan. And what is your plan today?" Col. Phillips asked sarcastically.

 

"I need the casualty list for Assiano!" Stevie told him urgently.

 

"You don’t get to give me orders, sweetheart," Phillips practically spat in her face.

 

"I just need one name. Sergeant James Barnes from the hundred and seventh," Stevie said desperately, as Phillips noticed Peggy.

 

"You and I are gonna have a conversation later that you won’t enjoy," Phillips told Peggy, ignoring Stevie.

 

"Please tell me if he’s alive, sir. B-A-R…" Stevie started, only to be interrupted.

 

"I can spell," Phillips paused, and Stevie hoped it was because he remembered her married name, "I have signed more of these condolence letters today than I would care to count. But the name does sound familiar. I’m sorry, Mrs. Barnes."

 

Around her, the staff who had been writing all the condolence letters and helping Phillips organize all inhaled sharply. All eye turned to her as they realized she’d literally arrived just too late to see her husband again.

 

The blond felt part of her world shatter. He had to still be alive, he just had to. Options of how to make sure he was alive ran through her head as she resolved to refuse to believe he was dead. Bucky was alive. It would take more than some Nazi scum to take him out.

 

"What about the others? Are you planning a rescue mission?" She asked, trying not to cry, pretending to ignore how her voice cracked.

 

"Yeah! It’s called winning the war," was the sarcastic reply, but its bite was slightly lessened by the sympathetic look now fixed on Phillips’ face.

 

"But if you know where they are, why not at least…?" Stevie snapped, only to be interrupted a second time.

 

"They’re thirty miles behind the lines. Through the most heavily fortified territory in Europe. We’d lose more men than we’d save. But I don’t expect you to understand that, because you’re a chorus girl and a grieving woman," Phillips interrupted, his expression turning stony.

 

"I think I understand just fine," Stevie spat furiously.

 

"Well then understand it somewhere else. If I read the posters correctly, you got some place to be in thirty minutes."

 

"Yes, sir. I do," Stevie hissed, glancing at the map and memorizing the base's location, “You’d better find that condolence letter again since you’re not going to have to mail it to me anymore.”

 

Phillips cringed. “Barnes…Barnes wait! Don’t do anything stupid!”

 

Stevie ignored him, and grabbed her shield, a helmet with the letter A on it, and a gun.

 

"What do you plan to do? Walk to Austria?" Peggy asked, running over to catch up with Stevie.

 

"If that’s what it takes."

 

"You heard the Colonel; your husband is most likely dead!" Peggy snapped, grabbing Stevie's arm.

 

"You don’t know that.”

 

"Even so, he’s devising a strategy to take-" Peggy tried, releasing Stevie's arm.

 

"By the time he’s done that, it could be too late!" Stevie pleaded, slipping on a pair of tights underneath her skirt and boots, "You told me you thought I was meant for more than this. Did you mean that?"

 

Peggy blinked, made to speak, closed her mouth and tried again.

 

"Every word."

 

“Than you have to let me go. I need to get him back, or at least find out for sure that he’s gone! He’s my husband, Peggy!”

 

“I can do more than that,” Peggy said with a growing smile. “I can get you a plane.”

 

Peggy led Stevie to a bunch of tents that appeared to have been turned into a lab. This was how Stevie properly met Howard Stark. They’d seen each other in New York where he had helped Erskine with administering the serum, but they’d never actually spoken to each other.

 

“Agent Carter and Captain America,” Howard greeted with a smile. “How may I be of assistance for such lovely ladies?”

 

“My husband is among the number of men in the one-oh-seventh who’ve been captured, and Phillips told me that he intends to leave my husband to die,” Stevie informed the inventor.

 

Howard gaped at her; his jaw dropped low in shock.

 

“We were wondering if you would be willing to fly a plane into enemy airspace so Stevie can go get her husband back,” Peggy added pleasantly. “If you are un willing to aid us in this endeavour, she will walk the whole way.”

 

“I’m flying the plane, don’t worry,” Howard said, rolling his eyes. “Let’s go save Captain America’s husband.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

After leaping out of an aircraft alone into enemy territory while under heavy fire, Stevie realized that she was a bit of an adrenaline junkie, and all the more determined to find her husband.

 

She made it into the base that Hydra was occupying and stole some of the glowing blue ammunition they were manufacturing before heading further into the base.

 

Stevie gasped, finding several men in cages. Acting quickly, she knocked the guards out and retrieved the key.

 

"Who are you supposed to be?" One of the men asked as she unlocked the first cage.

 

"I’m…Captain America," the super soldier replied, glancing around and not seeing Bucky, "I'm looking for a Sargent James Barnes…"

 

"There's an isolation ward in the factory, but no one's event come back from it," an Englishman supplied, "He could be there."

 

"Do you remember who they took last?" Stevie asked everyone else, a concerned frown on her face.

 

"Yeah, clever fellow. Brown hair, blue eyes, a Sargent, I think. He could he your Sargent," the first man answered, giving the reply she dreaded.

 

The men figured that out as she bowed her head and a tear slipped out.

 

"Ehhem," Stevie cleared her throat, "Thank you. Get out fast and give ’em hell. I’ll meet you guys in the clearing with anybody else I find."

 

"Wait! You know what you’re doin’?" The first man asked as she turned to leave.

 

"Yeah. I’ve knocked out Adolf Hitler over two hundred times," Stevie joked, tearing off down the hall way the black man had pointed out.

 

There was a room that a man came running out of, only a few yards from where she was. Stevie hurried forwards and peaked in, hearing her husband repeating his name, rank and serial number.

 

He was strapped to a table and looked out of it.

 

"It’s me! It’s Stevie!" Stevie said frantically, freeing Bucky from the table.

 

"Stevie!" Bucky whispered.

 

"Come on," She whispered to him, helping Bucky sit up straight.

 

"Stevie."

 

This time his voice was stronger. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he pulled Stevie into a kiss.

 

"I thought you were dead," Stevie gasped as she pulled away.

 

"I thought you were paler," Bucky replied before glancing at her breasts, "And _those_ were smaller! What did they do to you?"

 

"They made me stronger," Stevie said flippantly, forcing his shocked gaze up from her chest by physically taking his chin in her hand and tilting his head up.

 

"Did it hurt?"

 

"A little."

 

"Is it permanent?"

 

"So far!"

 

Bucky pulled her in for another kiss. Stevie moaned softly into the kiss before pulling away and glancing at a map on the wall that had Hydra bases marked on it.

 

Together, Stevie and Bucky made their way through the base, cringing at the explosions that started to rock the building. Almost by chance they found themselves face to face with Schmidt himself.

 

“Captain America,” he drawled, “We meet at last. I am a big fan of your films. Whatever Erskine may have said, I am his greatest achievement. I must say, however, that he has done a wonderful job on you. Soon you will have to admit that we have left humanity behind.”

 

Bucky audibly growled when Schmidt leered at Stevie.

 

“You’re a monster,” Stevie hissed at him, punching him hard in the face.

 

Schmidt grunted in pain and threw a retaliating punch that Stevie blocked with her shield. She tried not to worry when Schmidt’s fist left a dent in her shield. Zola, his lead scientist pulled a lever that separated the walk way before anybody could make another move.

 

“Like I said Captain, we have left humanity behind,” Schmidt said, pulling the skin off his face, and throwing it into the flames below them.

 

“You don’t have one of those, do you?” Bucky asked her, looking queasy.

 

“No, I don’t,” Stevie replied, subconsciously leaning closer to Bucky, who did the same.

 

“I hadn’t been aware that Captain America was married, and to think, I had her husband this whole time,” Schmidt said, looking between them. “All those missed opportunities, especially since you’re both going to die here.”

 

Schmidt and Zola disappeared, and the flames grew hotter and higher.


	3. Calm Before the Storn

Stevie and Bucky made it to the rest of the POWs before they leapt into each other’s arms. By the time they’d gotten to the POWs, she didn’t care that there were hundreds of men watching her and Bucky, because she’d just jumped a fifty-foot gap over an explosion and hadn’t seen her husband in months.

 

Stevie kissed Bucky like he was the air she needed to breathe, and Bucky kissed her with the same fervor. She let him back her up against a tree, pull all her hair out of the bun it had been in, and stick his hand up the back of her shirt before she remembered that they were being watched. That was incidentally when the cat calls and wolf whistles had started up.

 

Bucky pulled away from Stevie to glance over and the POWs at that same moment.

 

“Can’t you give me and the Mrs. a moment to get reacquainted in peace?” Bucky complained at them loudly, causing laughter to force its way out of the POWs.

 

“We, uh, we should get moving,” Stevie said, coughing out of awkwardness and blushing deeply.

 

“You’re probably right,” Bucky nodded, before giving her outfit a once over. “I know you described the outfit in your letters, but what the hell?”

 

“Just be glad I wasn’t wearing the other option on stages across America,” Stevie snorted at his confused facial expression. “There’s a certain amount of my body that I want to keep for you and you only, Buck.”

 

Bucky frowned. “I hate this alternate costume already.”

 

Stevie kissed him again quickly before turning back to the POWS. “The transponder is broken, so we’re going to have to walk back.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

It had taken a few days, but Stevie lead the men back to camp on foot.

 

"I’d like to surrender myself for disciplinary action," Stevie announced as Phillips approached her.

 

Bucky stepped closer to Stevie's side, levelling Phillips with a glare.

 

"That won’t be necessary," Phillips decided, looking around at all POWs she'd brought back.

 

"Yes, sir," Stevie replied while Bucky frowned.

 

"Damn right it won't be necessary, doll face! Let's hear it for a Captain America!" Bucky hollered, causing a couple of the POWs to chuckle before cheering.

 

"Faith, huh?" Phillips asked Peggy while frowning at Bucky as he pulled Stevie into his arms.

 

Stevie let Bucky pull her into his arms and kiss her in the middle of the camp.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"I hear you’re, uh…kind of attached?" Howard asked tapping the shield with a fist shaped dent in it.

 

Bucky kissed the top of Stevie’s head and wandered off to a nearby table.

 

"It’s handier than you might think," Stevie shrugged, glancing at Bucky who was inspecting the many guns Howard had laid out.

 

"I took the liberty of coming up with some options. This one’s fun. She’s been fitted with electrical relays. It’ll allow you to…" Howard started pointing out one of the many shields he had lying on the table.

 

"What about this one?" Stevie asked, picking up a silver and circular shield.

 

"No! No! That’s just a prototype," Howard said, drawing Bucky's attention.

 

"What’s it made of?" Stevie questioned, spinning it around in her hands.

 

"Vibranium. It’s stronger than steel and a third of the weight. It’s completely vibration absorbent," Howard listed off flicking the shield.

 

"How come it’s not a standard issue?" Stevie asked, slipping the shield on to her arm.

 

"That’s the rarest metal on earth. What you’re holding there? That’s all we’ve got," Howard explained as Peggy walked into the room.

 

"Bucky, Peggy, what do you think?" Stevie asked, holding the shield in front of her.

 

"Stark, can you hold it for a second?" Bucky asked, picking a gun off the table.

 

"Why?" Howard took the shield and Stevie flipped over the shield table to stand with Bucky.

 

Noticing the gun, Howard ducked behind the shield. Bucky opened fire on the shield. After a few bullets he stopped.

 

"Yes. I think it works," Peggy said sarcastically.

 

"I had some ideas about the uniform," Stevie smirked from beside Bucky who lowered the gun.

 

"Whatever you want doll, sorry Captain! Please don't shoot me!" Howard squeaked, only lowering the shield when Bucky put the gun down.

 

Stevie smirked, handing Howard a piece of paper with her ideas for the uniform.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Captain America and the Howling Commandos tore a path through Hydra.

 

"You made her a motorcycle," Bucky said flatly as Stevie excitedly fluttered around her new toy.

 

"It's bullet proof, and it throws grenades and grappling hooks and-" Howard started listing off.

 

"You turned a tank into a motorcycle!" Bucky snapped, "I hope you have extras because she's going to blow up half of Hydra with that thing! She loves motorcycles!"

 

Howard paused and watched Stevie attach her shield to the front of the bike.

 

"I'll get started on the second one," Howard decided, "I made it big enough for you to sit on the back, by the way."

 

Bucky was on the bike almost as soon as Howard had finished saying those words. Stevie drove it out of the lab while Bucky whooped loudly, causing Howard to yell and chase after them.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

They had one day of leave before a mission to capture Zola on a train, and Stevie and Bucky decided to make the most of it. Bucky planned an elaborate and romantic date night, and Howard had agreed to pay for the hotel room for them.

 

Bucky and Stevie dressed up for the night. They went for dinner, then they went dancing, and then they went to their hotel room.

 

Dinner was fish and chips, because they were in London. Stevie was still a bit awkward when it came to dancing, but like always Bucky was a pro and managed to get her to relax and enjoy herself.


	4. Fallout

"Remember when I took you to Coney Island and made you ride the Cyclone?" Bucky asked watching the snow-covered train tracks.

 

"Yeah. I threw up," Stevie replied, rolling her eyes.

 

"Is this a form of revenge for that?" Bucky questioned, turning to look at her.

 

"Now why would I do that?" Stevie asked sarcastically.

 

"If I survive this train ride, we are going dancing again," Bucky warned her.

 

Stevie smirked at him.

 

"Now I feel like that was your plan the whole time. Wipe that smirk off before I kiss it off!" Bucky threatened, causing her and the Commandos to laugh.

 

Bucky gave her one short kiss before focusing on the mission. If she’d known that only minutes later, she’d watch Bucky fall from the train, she would have grabbed him around the next and made that kiss last long.

 

They had to drag her back screaming. Zola had passed out at that point, but that hadn't stopped her.

 

Gabe had to physically restrain her by the time the shock had worn off. He stopped the train and radioed the Commandos for back up as quickly as he could while Zola was still conscious. By the time the Commandos had made it back to camp, the super soldier had fully shut down. She didn't react when people spoke to or touched her. She wasn't aware of anything she did.

 

Stevie didn't realize that she was so out of it until she was sitting in the old pub, which had been bombed, and was emptying its alcohol supply. And the alcohol had no effect on her what so ever. She didn't even remember changing.

 

All she could think about was Bucky falling off the side of the train.

 

In a week, that hadn't changed. It was around that time that Peggy came looking for her.

 

She was pouring another drink at the time.

 

"Dr. Erskine said that the serum wouldn’t just affect my muscles, it would affect my cells. Create a protective system of regeneration and healing. Which means um…I can’t get drunk. Did you know that?" Stevie said as soon as Peggy stepped into the destroyed room.

 

"Your metabolism burns four times faster than the average person. He thought it could be one of the side effects," Peggy replied, almost nervously, "It wasn’t your fault."

 

"Did you read the reports?" Stevie asked, emptying to bottle.

 

"Yes."

 

Peggy's eyes were locked on the bottle.

 

"Then you know that’s not true," Stevie finally looked at Peggy.

 

She'd gotten dressed up for this conversation.

 

"You did everything you could. Did you believe in your husband? Did you respect him?"

 

"What kind of a question is that? I believed in him every day and I respected him since the first day I met him!" Stevie snarled, rage temporarily washing over her at the thought that she might not believe of respect Bucky.

 

"Then stop blaming yourself. Allow Barnes the dignity of his choice. He damn well must have thought you were worth it," Peggy lectured, placing her hands on her hips.

 

"I’m goin’ after Schmidt. I’m not gonna stop till all of Hydra is dead or captured," Stevie warned, picking up the glass of beer and draining it.

 

"You won’t be alone," Peggy told her while she drank, "Now, the Commandos have complained that you've drunk over half of the liquor stores and would like you to leave some for them, too."

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Gabe, Mortia, Falsworth, Dernier, and Dum Dum Dugan were all sheepishly waiting by her door.

 

Stevie froze momentarily when she saw them. Like her they were ready for their mission and in uniform.

 

"Hi, guys," Stevie said, surprise still in her voice.

 

Her Commandos shared glances quickly.

 

"We all felt grief at Bucky's passing, although none at the extent of yours," Falsworth began, nodding to Dum Dum.

 

"We were worried about you, and since Buck made us promise to take care of you if anything happened to him…" Dum Dum continued, looking pointedly at Mortia when he finished.

 

"We thought you might have a harder time with this large scale of a mission, so we had Howard help us make you a little something," Mortia finished, nodding to Dernier.

 

Dernier handed her a small ring that held a charm for each member of the Commandos including Bucky, and one obviously for Peggy. The edge of the ring had the name Stark etched in it in tiny letters.

 

Dernier babbled quickly in French. Although he'd been teaching the Commandos French, he was speaking too fast for Stevie to catch all the words.

 

"We knew that you weren't really supposed to wear jewelry, so we made it so it could hang off of your dog tags with your rings," Gabe translated.

 

Stevie felt tears prick her eyes and threw herself into her team's arms. They all gave her a huge hug.

 

"Thank you guys so much!" Stevie whispered, looking at the charms and quickly sliding them onto her dog tags.

 

"Howard thought that he should include himself and Peggy so that all your friends could go into battle with you. We almost had Phillips convinced to choose a charm, too," Mortia smirked, causing Stevie to laugh.

 

"This is amazing! Thank you!" She told them.

 

"Alright, enough of this mush!" Dum Dum snapped, clapping Stevie on the back, "Let's go avenge Bucky by ending the war!"

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The final face off between Stevie and Schmidt happened on a plan full of explosives headed for New York City. After Schmidt managed to get himself burned and torn apart by cosmic energy, what to do with a plane with broken autopilot and enough explosives to level the eastern seaboard was way too easy.

 

"Peggy, are you there?" Stevie radioed, trying to figure out how to steer the plane.

 

"Stevie, is that you? Are you alright?" Peggy's voice asked over the crackly radio.

 

"Peggy! Schmidt’s dead," Stevie said, electing to ignore the 'are you alright?'

 

She hadn't been alright since Bucky. It was harder to deny when she was the one to see him fall.

 

"What about the plane?"

 

"That’s a little bit tougher to explain," Stevie winced, staring at the damage to the hull and the inevitability of an explosion.

 

"Give me your coordinates, I’ll find you a safe landing site," Peggy ordered.

 

"There’s not going to be a safe landing. But I can try and force it down," Stevie tried to explain, finding open arctic waters.

 

"I’ll get Howard on the line, he’ll know what to do," Peggy decided, her voice getting frantic.

 

"There’s not enough time. This thing’s moving too fast and it’s heading for New York. I gotta put her in the water," Stevie explained, "She could blow, there is a lot of damage to the hull!"

 

"Please, don’t do this. We have time. We can find a way to deactivate it, or decelerate it!" Peggy snapped, getting desperate.

 

"Right now I’m in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer a lot of people are gonna die. Peggy, this is my choice. In the end, I'll see Bucky again," Stevie told her.

 

Peggy let out a small sob.

 

"He's gonna be so mad at you!" Peggy said, almost giggling.

 

"I've done a lot of stupid things before. He's gotten over them, I'm sure he'll get over this," Stevie almost smirked, directing the plane towards the ice and cold waters.

 

"Other than forcing down this plane and joining the army, what's the stupidest thing you've done?" Peggy asked, and Stevie knew that when she got to heaven she'd personally ask God to bless Peggy.

 

Peggy was the kind of friend who would distract you from the thought of your immanent death, just to make you feel better.

 

"I think the stupidest was taking on five guys when I was only fifteen because they'd been kicking around a stray cat after drinking. You remember how small I was, right?" Stevie replied, "Bucky had to come drag me out of the alley. I used to be a lightweight, ironic since now I can't get drunk, and I didn't even think. I just charged and managed to get one hit in on the biggest guy."

 

The ground was too close. She'd never be able to pull up now, but at the same time, she didn't have time to get out of the plane in time. Closing a hand over her wedding and engagement rings and the charms her Commandos had given her Stevie continued talking.

 

"All he did was push me to the ground, seein' as I was obviously drunk, so Bucky-"

 

Stevie didn't even get to finish her sentence as the plane hit a giant sheet of ice, breaking through it. The front windows shattered, and freezing cold water rushed into the plane. Instinctively, Stevie had pulled up her shield, but for the first time it didn't offer any protection.

 

She'd never been so cold before in her entire life.

 

She wasn’t knocked out by the impact, and the plane was filling way too quickly with the cold water. It was as if she’d been stabbed hundreds of times repeatedly. Stevie got out of the pilots’ chair, checked all the exits to find them blocked, and lay herself down and closed her eyes, waiting for the cold and the water to take her.

 

At least she’d be seeing Bucky soon.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Stevie gasped as she awoke. She was in what looked like a hospital room. She heard a sports game playing in the background.

 

She remembered that game. She went to that game with Bucky. She was as much of a baseball nut as he is. Was.

 

Sitting up slowly, Stevie tried to gain her bearings. The only door opened, and a woman wearing her hair down walked in.

 

"Ah! Captain Rogers, you're awake! Good morning, or should I say afternoon." The lady said, checking her watch.

 

Stevie tensed, looking at the woman. Hair down, but she worked in a hospital? No. That was a men's tie she was wearing. No. Her bra was misbehaving. No. The out of date game. No. Calling her by her maiden name instead of her married name? No.

 

Something wasn't right.

 

"Where am I?" Stevie asked, slowly getting to her feet.

 

"You’re in a recovery room in New York City," She answered the soldier easily.

 

Lied easily.

 

"Where am I really?" Stevie snapped taking a few steps towards the lady.

 

"I’m afraid I don’t understand," the lady was trying to hide fear, but Steve saw right through it.

 

"The game, it’s from May, nineteen forty one. I know, ‘cause I was there. I went with my HUSBAND, whose name I took after marriage. Barnes. Now, I’m gonna ask you again. Where am I?" Stevie growled, stepping into her space.

 

"Captain Rog-Captain Barnes?" The liar asked, almost slipping up on Stevie's name again.

 

"Who are you?" Stevie snapped, just as two soldiers in black uniform entered the room.

 

Stevie knocked them straight through the wall next to her.

 

"Captain Barnes, wait!" The woman yelled as Stevie stumble out of what looked like a set from a play. 

 

The super soldier took off as fast as she could, knocking people over as she made her escape. There was a metal door with a sign that read exit over it. Praying it wasn’t another lie, Stevie raced through it.

 

She found herself in the middle of a busy city filled with noise, flashing lights, moving pictures, and really tall buildings. Stumbling, Stevie spun around, trying to take it all in and gain her bearings. People wore strange clothes, talked into little black boxes, and Stevie found herself getting overwhelmed.

 

"At ease, soldier!" A man's voice yelled as several black cars of makes Stevie didn't recognize surrounded her.

 

She spun again to find a black man in a trench coat wearing an eyepatch.

 

"Look, I’m sorry about that little show back there. But we thought it best to break it to you slowly," The man said carefully.

 

"Break what?" Stevie asked, feeling dread settle in her stomach.

 

"You've been asleep, Cap. For almost seventy years," the man told her flatly.

 

Stevie stumbled slightly, her eyes widening in shock.

 

"Are you gonna be ok?" The man asked her.

 

“Yeah, uh, yeah, I just…” Stevie trailed off shaking her head and taking a deep breath.

 

The man walked up to her carefully.

 

"My name is Nick Fury. I am the Director of SHIELD. We took over for the SSR after the war. In fact, two of your friends helped found SHIELD. Peggy Carter and Howard Stark," the man, Fury, told her in an almost hushed voice. “I just have one question for you right now. Were you aware of the fact you were pregnant when you put the plane in the arctic?”

 

Stevie felt her heart stop.

 

“Pregnant? I’m pregnant?” Stevie repeated looking at him with wide eyes.

 

She and Bucky hadn't planned on kids. He'd been afraid of losing her in childbirth, and she'd been afraid of raising a child while broke in the middle of a war...but now Bucky was gone, and it looked like the war was over.

 

“Yes. The baby survived the deep freeze a long with you,” Fury replied. “I’m taking this as a sign you didn’t know.”

 

“I didn’t know,” Stevie whispered.

 

She was pregnant, with Bucky's child. She still had one piece of Bucky left in this world, and she promised herself to protect it with her life.

 

Fury looked grim. “Let’s go back inside and discuss this in full.”


End file.
